Supporters of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu hold a poster of him as they protest in front of Istanbul City Hall against his detention as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, on March 19, 2025. (Credit: Kemal Aslan/AFP)
Thousands of protestors gathered Thursday in Istsanbul's Taksim Square in response to a call to action by the city's mayor, arrested the day before from his apartment. "Imamoglu, you are not alone!" they chanted. Ekrem Imamoglu, 53, a charismatic leading figure within the Turkish opposition's Republican People's Party (CHP), was set to be nominated by his party as candidate in the 2028 presidential election campaign, but now he risks being disqualified.Accused of corruption and terrorism for his alleged support of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization in Turkey, the Imamoglu has been the target of a relentless judicial campaign since he took office as mayor of Istanbul in 2019. The manhunt, coupled with a repressive campaign against over 100 CHP officials, lays bare Turkish...
Thousands of protestors gathered Thursday in Istsanbul's Taksim Square in response to a call to action by the city's mayor, arrested the day before from his apartment. "Imamoglu, you are not alone!" they chanted. Ekrem Imamoglu, 53, a charismatic leading figure within the Turkish opposition's Republican People's Party (CHP), was set to be nominated by his party as candidate in the 2028 presidential election campaign, but now he risks being disqualified.Accused of corruption and terrorism for his alleged support of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization in Turkey, the Imamoglu has been the target of a relentless judicial campaign since he took office as mayor of Istanbul in 2019. The manhunt, coupled with a repressive campaign against over 100 CHP officials, lays bare Turkish...